Jeffrey Dean Morgan is stopping rumors dead in their tracks.
The star spoke out against the "toxic" rumors that have circulated since Melissa McBride announced her exit from The Walking Dead spin-off Carol & Daryl. He stated that Norman Reedus is not to blame for his co-star's exit, writing on Twitter April 29, "Some of you have gone WAY too far. TOXIC. Attacking norm for crap he has NOTHING to do with? Melissa made a call that was hers alone. She wants/needs a break. Respect that. Factors involved that are nobody's business. Norm, who's given more than anyone to you all. Just S--TTY."
An AMC spokesperson previously confirmed to E! News that McBride had decided to exit the series ahead of filming as "relocating to Europe became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time."
Some social media users assumed that the series was set in Europe on the behest of Reedus, whose girlfriend, Diane Kruger, is from Germany. However, as Morgan explained in a separate tweet, "Norman had nothing to do with picking location. That decision is all about story, ideas… MONEY. That's studio/network."
Morgan added that an actor "rarely" has the ability to wield such power over a production. "We can say yes and do, or no, and not do," he continued. "MAYBE. SOMETIMES. If we're lucky and don't have contract yet."
Neither Reedus nor McBride have publicly spoken out about the casting shakeup.
Though fans are disappointed Carol will not be featured in the spin-off, TVLine reported that Carol & Daryl will film with Daryl as the main character.
Moreover, AMC stated that not all hope is lost: "The Walking Dead Universe continues to grow and expand in interesting ways and we very much hope to see Carol again in the near future."
Indeed, the Walking Dead lives on even as the 11th and final season approaches its end. In addition to Carol & Daryl, AMC is planning out the return of Morgan's Negan and Lauren Cohan's Maggie in the upcoming series Isle of the Dead, in which the duo will explore "a post-apocalyptic Manhattan long ago cut off from the mainland," according to the network's description.
Part three of The Walking Dead's final season is due out later this year.